A Fiery Red
by LadyFrederic
Summary: As always, Blossom and Brick are at each other's throats, regardless of the fact that their siblings are dating each other and the holidays are approaching. Will the two ever realize feelings that might not be there? Or will they simply continue to hate, demolishing parts of Townsville as they do so? Borderlining between K and T. Part Three of Three.
1. The Snow and Utter Loneliness

Blossom sighed heavily, trying with all her might to get her sisters to hear her. It was the day before their seventeenth birthday, and Blossom was stuck in her room, doing homework while the others were congested in the living room downstairs, watching a movie. It wasn't that Blossom absolutely _had _to do the homework—but, being the responsible junior she was, the red-head was determined to finish the extensive project before the week was out. Therefore, that required her to do some of the work outside of the allotted class time. But still... Blossom yearned to spend time with her family. Again the girl sighed, receiving a shout of "We can hear you!" from her green-eyed sister down below. Blossom rolled her eyes—a silent act, she noted—and continued on the assignment, working quicker and more angrily than before. The paper she was writing seemed to write itself as she became more and more enraged at her family and herself. Finally, though, she finished her rough draft and looked at it with an air of victory. The dumb paper had not conquered her; the super powered girl had come out on top.

To share her success with the others, Blossom bolted down the stairs, leaving a trail of bright pink behind her. She halted in the open living room, gazing breathlessly at her snoring family. As tears brimmed to the surface of her already red-rimmed eyes, Blossom shut off the television and shot out of the house and into the night air. As soon as she did so, though, the girl regretted it. It was December, two weeks until Christmas, and a biting wind was raging at her naked arms. Blossom had simply been wearing plush fuchsia shorts and a black tank-top, just getting out of the shower and deciding last minute to finish the paper. Naturally, then, she was without shoes, appropriate wintertime coverage, and had a bundle of soaked hair covering her back. The girl's teeth began to chatter involuntarily, and she shook. However, this particular red-head was extremely stubborn and strong-minded; Blossom wouldn't be going back to her home anytime soon, even if she was outright freezing.

The girl flew around the town in furious circles for a while, simply fuming and thinking of how there was no one in the world who cared about her or her existence, when the cold became too much to bear. Blossom had gotten completely turned around in her flying fury, though, and couldn't see her home—not that she would have wanted to return there anyway. So, instead, she landed gracefully on the outskirts of town, taking shelter in a small embankment of trees. She let herself shake there, her large eyes glaring as she thought of her family comfortably sleeping in the living room, not worried, not even realizing she was absent. A new wave of anger arose in the teen and she stood and shrieked, hearing a car alarm go off in the distance. Blossom then began tromping moodily about the outskirts of Townsville, subconsciously looking for an escape from the wind, which had become accompanied by large, piercing flakes of snow. She was let down, though, as there appeared to be nothing for miles. Blossom fell to her knees, exhaustion keeping her from simply flying. Tears again came to her eyes, freezing on her face, and the girl closed her lids as her already glacial face met the even colder cushion of snow.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

"She's waking up!"

"Shut up, Bubbles! Don't scare her!"

"Girls, girls! Her eyes are opening! Shush!"

Blossom grudgingly opened her eyes to see her family leaning over her, grinning like fools. "Uh. Hi," she said quietly, wondering why they were showering her with so much affection. She shook her head, trying to remember what had happened. She remembered coming downstairs to her slumbering family, going outside in the horrendous weather, being so terribly tired, falling into the snow... Blossom squinted her eyes as the memories faded. But... the girl vaguely recalled looking up at a mass of red, the wind running her hair wildly across her face, and strong, warm _something's _caressing her carefully. However, that could easily just be her room—her bed had a large red canopy over the top and a heated blanket. So, the girl told herself she must have simply imagined her hair blowing crazily, a deranged nightmare mixed with reality since she had just been outside for so long. Yeah... That was it...

As Blossom sat in her bed, trying to remember what happened, she missed her family animatedly telling her what had happened in the movie. "And then—" Bubbles began, but the Professor slapped his hand over her mouth and pointed at the clock.

"Girls! It's almost time for school! You up to that, Blossom?" The girl nodded and got dressed in a flash. "Oh. And happy birthday, girls!" The Professor ushered them out of the house with these parting words, and Blossom realized she was now seventeen...

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

I sat with my brothers at the front entrance to the school, throwing snowballs filled with rocks at inattentive passerby—mostly freshmen. Butch made a particularly good shot, sending the girl he hit running into the school, crying and clutching her nose. I slapped him a high-five and he grinned at Boomer who was up next. We made a competition of the game, taking turns to see who could get the best reaction from the students. However, Boomer dropped the snow ball suddenly, his mouth slightly agape and his cheeks flushed rapidly. I rolled my eyes and glanced at Butch to see he had changed his posture, standing taller and looking very cocky. I languidly swung my head around to see the bright streaks of pink, blue, and green approaching and at once stood up and walked in the building, not looking forward to the awkward-fest that was bound to begin as soon as the two girls came up to my brothers—their _boyfriends_. Again, I rolled my eyes and went to my locker. I still couldn't believe my brothers—my tough, burly, independent, manly brothers—had fallen for those two. I mean, we used to _fight_ as kids; and trust me, I hadn't forgotten, even if they had.

Boomer and Bubbles had gotten together first, not surprisingly, right after our sophomore year of high school had ended. Then, when school started, Butch began pursuing Buttercup, and after an altercation with my younger brother, not a week later, they were an 'item' and I began spending my nights alone, playing video games and neglecting my homework... to an extent. Look, I'm not a dumb guy. But being too smart can get you in trouble; to be honest, I do my homework more than people would expect, and I get pretty good grades. Not good enough to get noticed, but enough to not be in classes with the total idiots. Anyways...

I was just glad I hadn't fallen for that goody-two-shoes Blossom. Even if she did have a certain way of swinging her hair as she walked that perfectly matched the rhythm of her hips that made me just stare as she walked by; even if her lips were unusually small but a deep red that I often found unnerving; even if I got chills every time she walked by me, the scent of strawberry's rolling off of her in waves; even though I knew her schedule like the back of my hand and always made sure to be in the specific place she was walking by so I could catch a glimpse of her analytical eyes, peering curiously at me as I watched her; even though I found her last night, lying in the snow and took her back to her own home, making sure she didn't know it was me... I wasn't falling for her. Out of habit, though, I rushed to my usual place by the drinking fountains and glanced discreetly at the girl as she walked by. I sighed inwardly as she rounded the corner to her locker, number 5010. She was wearing white sweat-pants with pink sequins on the butt that spelled the word "LOVE", hot pink tennis shoes, and a fuchsia sweater top, completing her look with the usual bow. I knew she wasn't going to be happy today—Blossom's clothing reflected that side of her. The nicer she dressed, the better she felt. I shook my head, slightly paranoid that I had catalogued this information and went to my first class, which, ironically, I shared with the red-head.

**Author's Note: I must warn you; this one is quite a bit longer than the other two. I wrote this one first, as well, so I apologize if there are any discrepancies in what happened—I tried to go back and fix any plot holes. What do you think so far? Please leave me a comment! Thanks for reading, as usual!**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	2. An Apology and a Battle

Blossom slammed her locker and trudged to her first class, Physics. Not surprisingly, she saw Brick standing outside the classroom, joking around with a few of his other friends, as he always was. Blossom hugged her books to her chest and cast her eyes downward, missing Brick's sudden head swing as he watched her go in. So lost in her own thoughts was the girl, that she didn't hear Brick call out a good-bye to his friends or the clomp of his Vans as he, too, walked in the room; then, naturally, the abrupt collision between the two could not have been predicted as Blossom came to a halt in the middle of the doorway. Brick smashed into the back of her, sending her reeling forward and nearly throwing her books in the process. Blossom closed her eyes and her palms met the freezing linoleum, keeping her head from hitting. With a sigh, the red-head flipped over and sat on her butt, tilting her head to the side and sucking in her lips, slightly glaring at the boy whose face was almost as red as his hat. "Sorry. I didn't see you stop." Blossom blinked in surprise—this was a _boy_—and not only that. This was a boy she had a history of fighting with, a boy who had often told her he would rather punch her in the face than have a pleasant conversation with her. To hear him apologize like this shocked her.

"That's fine," she said with a huge sigh. "I wasn't... paying attention." She got up, ignoring the hand he offered her, and picked up her books, heading for her seat at the front of the class. Immediately afterward, the bell rang and Blossom's other classmates began milling into the room.

Blossom observed the students as they walked toward their seats, still conversing and laughing. Again the girl sighed and turned to the front as the second bell rang, not feeling the boring of red eyes as Brick stared at the back of her head as he usually did. Within a few moments the teacher walked in, starting the class. Blossom took out her notes and copied down the slides, going into 'school mode' as she did so.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

I felt like a fool. A complete and utter fool. I had smashed into her for no reason, and had lamely apologized. What was it about this girl? I didn't like her—she was just another girl. And, trust me; I've had my fair share of girlfriends. This year alone, I had racked up a total of twenty. But... I guess Blossom wasn't _just_ another girl. I'd know her since I was, like, six. Granted, we fought to the death and hated each other… but she had super powers, and, like me, her siblings were acting like total idiots. I bit my bottom lip, still staring at the back of her head and didn't realize the teacher was looking at me dangerously. The boy I was sitting next to nudged me and I whipped my head around to look at the glowering instructor. "Brick, since you were so _obviously_ deep in thought, would you care to tell us what I was just talking about?" My eyes darted to the board, but she had minimized the notes; I glanced quickly around the room, hoping someone would bail me out. Unfortunately, no one did, and I simply shook my head.

"Hm." The teacher smiled smugly at me and continued to speak. "Then would you care to share with the class why you were staring so intently at the back of Blossom's head?" I glared at the lady as the girls all began to giggle and the guys shared knowing looks.

"Not really. That's none of your business." When the instructor merely raised her eyebrows in response and the girls giggled harder still, I added, "I don't and never will have 'feelings' for that… _thing_." I spat the words out, not looking at the mild-mannered red-head as I said it. For some reason, though, I caught her expression out of the corner of my eye, and the devastated look that came over her flawless features caused my insides to do a back-flip. I instantly regretted what I said, but held my ground. Why had I said that? I didn't like the girl… But to call her a thing? That was low… And why did I care so much?

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom's heart dropped even lower when Brick called her a thing. She didn't particularly care what he thought of her, but to have him say that, in front of the whole class, really bummed her out. She kept the tears at bay and coolly turned back to the front. The teacher went silent at Brick's remark and the rest of the class looked awkwardly away. The notes came back up on the board and Blossom busied herself with copying them down faithfully. When the bell finally rang, she rushed out of the room, wanting to get as much distance as she could between herself and that _boy_.

However, that _boy_ had other plans, apparently. Blossom felt a firm, warm hand on her wrist and turned to see Brick standing there, an odd look on his face. It was a mix of regret, confusion, anger, and awkwardness. "What?" she said sharply, wrenching her arms away from his hand.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry," he replied, a glare furrowing his brow. "Is that so wrong? I try to do one good thing in my life, but no. A Powerpuff can't have _that_…" Blossom returned his glower and could feel the heat forming in her eyes. She could see it in his, too. Although his eyes were abnormally red, an even deeper scarlet was creeping over his pupils; and, within seconds, their heat beams met with a blast that knocked all the students within a twenty feet radius to the ground. When Blossom was sure the beams were locked together, she bent her knees ever so slightly, ducking and shooting Brick in the chest. The force of the blast sent him reeling backwards and smashing into the lockers, breaking several doors off their hinges. The students in the hall knew of their classmates' destructive power and ran into classrooms, a few brave souls running off to find Bubbles, Buttercup, Boomer, and Butch, the only ones able to stop the quarrels these two had.

Brick picked himself up from the heap of what was left of the lockers and cracked his neck, crouching low and flying straight at Blossom, a burning red streak forming behind him. He put his arms out and slammed into the girl, stopping a split second after impact, sending her soaring through the hallway and landing with a resounding _clunk_, forming a tiny crater in the floor. Brick didn't give her a chance to recover, though, and launched himself at her, pinning her as she was attempting to stand up. Blossom could see the heat rising in his eyes again and, with a sudden surge, kicked him off of her. His beam of heat went straight up, cutting a fine line into the ceiling. He landed hard and Blossom pinned him, needing to straddle him because his chest was so wide. She punched his jaw as hard as she could, but then screeched in pain, shaking her hand. Brick smiled and pushed her off, rolling her so she was now pinned. "It's different when I'm sixteen instead of six, huh?" Blossom rolled her eyes as he pulled back to punch her. His fist met her jaw line with a satisfying crunching noise. The right side of Blossom's face immediately began throbbing and as Brick pulled back to punch her again, a shout echoed around the halls.

"BRICK!" Blossom opened her eyes to see Brick whip his head around. "Brick, stop!" Boomer was running at his brother, Bubbles by his side.

"Why should I? I tried to be nice for once but she wouldn't have it. No, the Puffs _want_ a fight. So, they'll get one." Brick smashed his fist against Blossom's face again, but was stopped from hitting her a third time. Blossom realized, then, that the pressure of Brick was no longer there. She turned to see her sisters holding him against the wall, Buttercup punching him in the stomach repeatedly. She tried to tell them to stop, that they'd get in trouble… But she barely opened her mouth before everything went black.

**Author's Note: Fighting! *gasp* What will they do now? Brick sure is violent, huh? Oh, well. :D**

**Please leave a review and thanks for reading! Love you guys! …but not like _that_… JKJK. XD**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**

**PS These two are my personal favorite. -w- I don't really know why, but they are. Jus' thought you should know. XD**


	3. A Realization and a Meeting

I woke with a sudden throbbing of pain. I groaned and turned over on my side, opening my eyes to see I was surrounded by walls of white and posters diagramming the human body. I saw Blossom lying to my left, breathing slightly and a large, black bruise forming over the right side of her face. I then pulled up my shirt and looked at my abdomen, wincing at the handiwork of her sisters. I gingerly poked at my abs and sucked in air as the pain erupted more fully. I tried to sit up, but my body demanded I lie back down. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember what exactly it was that set me off… It was the tone. The tone of her voice is what made me go crazy. Disgust, contempt, with a dash of utter hatred and embarrassment; that's what her tone of voice said to me. And I had done nothing wrong. Okay, yeah… So I had called her a name. But I meant to apologize, to say I was _sorry_. I put my hands over my eyes, rubbing them and mentally beating myself up. I jolted upward, though, when the door opened to reveal the school nurse. "Brick!" she said. The nurse was a lady of about fifty-five with gray streaked black hair, and critical eyes surrounded by thick, blue rimmed glasses. "Are you alright? Those girls really beat you up…" The nurse was a kind woman who took her job seriously—she didn't discriminate between 'good' and 'bad' kids.

"Aw, I'm fine. Just need a couple of hours before I can get back to class." She smiled warmly at me and insisted on bandaging me up. I pulled off my shirt and sighed as the older woman carefully and deliberately rolled the bandage around my midriff.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom rolled over, careful not to put any pressure on the right side of her face which hurt an awful lot. She nearly screamed when she saw Brick sitting there, taking off his shirt. However, her shock turned to something else as her eyes devoured his firm chest and abs. Blossom noted what a dark black and blue they were and almost smiled, glad to have sisters like that. But, aside from how beat up he was, Brick had quite the body. Blossom just stared at him as he flexed his arms experimentally, the nurse having finished bandaging him up. The red-head then sighed and pretended to just be waking up. She rubbed at her eyes for quite a while and when she was sure Brick had put his shirt back on, she lowered her hands. The nurse then gasped. "Oh my goodness, Blossom!" she whispered. "Are you alright, dearie?" Blossom nodded.

"I feel alright. Why? What's wrong?" Blossom peered at Brick and saw him quickly look away. "What is it?" The nurse grabbed a mirror and handed it to the girl. She examined her face and her eyes bulged when she saw the two black, fist sized bruises on the right side of her face. "Let me guess," she said sourly, breaking the silence. "Courtesy of Brick?" He twisted his head around sharply to glare at her and she returned it with confidence. All at once, though, both teens stopped and listened, faintly hearing the voice of the principal and their siblings.

"They either can't be in the same class, or have to learn to coexist with each other. Our school can't afford for them to have all out brawls once a semester. We'll go bankrupt!" Blossom and Brick subconsciously gave each other an awkward glance as they recalled the fight they had last February that leveled the entire football stadium. "Look…" He sighed. "All I'm saying is that if they don't start getting along, you have to make sure they never come in contact with each other… Which, by extension, would mean you wouldn't be able to see each other during school hours. You all would keep your eyes on your siblings until they seemed mature enough to handle being in the same general space as the other. Got it?" Their siblings all gave their consent. Blossom and Brick, meanwhile, continued to glare at each other. Blossom knew she wanted to keep her current schedule and wanted her sisters to be happy—but she wasn't sure she could handle being civil with this buffoon of a boy.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

As soon as we were allowed to leave, I headed for home, not bothering to go back to my locker. I flew home as fast as I could, anger pouring from me. I started up a video game just as Boomer and Butch awkwardly walked in. "S'up, Brick," Butch said, trying to make conversation. I simply grunted and refused to look away from the screen. "Look. You probably heard what the principal wants us to do… So I'm not going to waste time explaining. The deal is, you're going to meet with Blossom tonight, in half an hour, at their house, and just talk. We need to get so you two can stand being in one another's company."

"It's not that bad," I protested. "This is the first time we've fought in, like… five months!"

"Yeah, and the last time you guys fought, you ended up taking out an entire office building," Boomer interjected, rolling his eyes. "Why do you guys hate each other so much anyways?"

"I don't. It's just…" I trailed off, trying to find the right words to describe what I felt for the pink Powerpuff. "Okay. So, in class, I kinda got called out because I was staring at the back of her head—just staring, she sits right in front of me, 'kay? And the teacher asked why… And I called her a thing."

Butch sat up from the couch and looked at me. "You called Blossom a thing?"

"Well… I said that I would never feel anything for her. But, instead of saying 'her' I said 'thing'." Boomer and Butch both mock winced, causing me to roll my eyes. "Then, when I tried to apologize, she freaked out! She basically gave me a look that said "I hate you more than poo. Go die in a hole, jerk wad." I was _trying_ to be _nice_. So when she looked at me like that… I just snapped." My brother's were both staring at me critically. "Okay, so I was in the wrong. That doesn't mean she should just _attack_ me. For the record, she started charging the beam first." I went back to my game and played until my brother's demanded I quit so we could get to the girls' house on time.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom sighed as she heard a thumping on the front door. As the Professor went to answer it, Bubbles and Buttercup came up to her room and sat with her on the bed. "Look, I know you hate him, but would you do it for us?" Buttercup asked, nudging her older sister. Blossom smiled weakly and nodded. "Thanks. By the way, we're sorry we've sort of been ignoring you lately. It's just that with you taking school so seriously, we don't want to distract you. Do you forgive us?" The red-head looked between her two sisters and reached around to hug them.

"Of course." The three broke apart when they heard the front door open and close and Blossom mentally prepared herself to face Brick, reaching up to touch the bruise on her face. It wasn't long before the boys were climbing the stairs and Blossom took a deep breath, suddenly feeling butterflies burst in her stomach. As the three crossed the threshold into her room, Blossom's breath caught in her throat when she saw them.

Boomer was holding a large gift bag, overflowing with tissue paper. Bubbles squealed giddily and jumped at him, planting a large smacking kiss on his cheek, taking the birthday present as she did so. Butch, meanwhile, awkwardly handed Buttercup a much smaller box, who took it with a smile and floated slightly to kiss his forehead. "You really shouldn't have," she said, eyes sparkling.

"Well, it is your birthday. I felt as your boyfriend it was sort of my job." The four shared a moment of gazing into each other's eyes longingly while Blossom and Brick silently gagged. Blossom turned to look at him and felt the butterflies again in her stomach. He was wearing a different shirt from this day at school—one that was a deep red and hugged his chest tightly, casting his pectorals into sharp relief. His black jeans pooled at the floor, lying lazily over his black and red Vans. Of course, the entire look was topped off with his signature red hat, spun backwards over his head. Brick crossed his arms as he caught her looking him over and the girl suddenly felt embarrassed that she had not changed at all; she was wearing the same sweat pants and sweater from her day at school. He seemed to have cleaned up for her and Blossom simply stood their uncomfortably, trying to not look into his captivating eyes as he examined her. In an unexpected rush, though, their siblings turned to them and ordered them to sit across from each other and talk. They would be near to observe, but adamantly declared they wouldn't intervene unless the two threatened to destroy the house. So, the two red-heads sat, avoiding each other's eyes.

"So…" they both said at the exact same time. Blossom couldn't help but feel the blush creep into her cheeks and looked away, not seeing Brick perform the same actions.

"Look, I was going to apologize for embarrassing you in class," Brick said at once, causing the girl to turn her head sharply to look at him. "That's why I grabbed you."

"Then why didn't you just apologize? Why'd you freak out like that?" The ice was creeping into the girl's voice, causing both parties to glare fiercely at the other. Brick shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat.

"You gave me this look. One of total disgust." Blossom's eyes went wide as he explained himself. "I was trying to be nice for once, and when you _looked_ at me like that… I just lost it. Sorry." The apology was short, but she could tell he meant it.

"I…" the girl started, trying to find words. "I'm sorry, too. I haven't had the best week so far, and I was already short of patience. I shouldn't have been so sharp with you." Brick simply nodded, crossing his arms as he did so. "So… Um…" Blossom struggled to keep the conversation going, noticing how difficult it was to talk to this boy. She kept getting distracted by his eyes, kept getting drawn in. They were a dark and dangerous red, but there was a definite uncertainty in them that the girl found intriguing. She wanted to gaze into those eyes forever and find out what was causing them to be so unsure. "What's your favorite color?" she eventually asked, needing to break the silence between them.

**Author's Note: Will this end well? Or will our leaders end up fighting to the death? Only I know! Hahahaha! XD Next chapter probs up tomorrow. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! I 'preciate it! ;)**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	4. Almost Something

I stared at her, confused. My favorite color? What did that matter? "Uh… red…" I said, a smile creeping onto my face.

"What?" she asked, her hands shooting to her small waist. I tried not to look, but I couldn't help but stare at her. She hadn't changed from school, but she still pulled the outfit off wonderfully. I was surprised to notice her rather small chest and petite hands; all of Blossom was like that—a bit smaller than you expected. Everything, that is, except for her hair. Her hair rolled off her back and pooled at the floor, shimmering in the light coming from her overhead light. And, of course, her eyes were especially large, taking up most of her face. The bright and cheery pink that they were seemed to be always evaluating me, wondering if they could trust me or not. After another inspection of the girl sitting not two feet from me, I realized she was still waiting for me to answer her inquiry.

"That just seemed out of the blue. What's your favorite color?" She tilted her head slightly to my right and placed a small, finely manicured finger by her chin.

"Hm… I'd have to go with pink." An eager playfulness washed over her eyes when she told me. "Couldn't have guessed, could you?" she asked, slightly scooting forward. I glanced over at my brothers to see if they had noticed, but it was such a small amount that she had moved, I found they hadn't detected the motion at all—in fact, I doubt Blossom herself knew she had made the gesture.

"Nope," I said. "No way would I've guessed that." Our conversation continued like that, taking turns asking questions. I asked her about her favorite subject, movie, book, season, and food. Surprisingly, we found we had many common interests.

"Spaghetti can't be your favorite, too… Can it?" she asked as I told her we shared that in common. Blossom clapped her hands together as she said this, moving even closer to me. For whatever reason, my neck began feeling hot and my stomach churned. I was locked in those eyes of hers and couldn't look away, trying to stop myself from leaning closer to her, bridging the gap linking the space between us.

"It is. But pizza would have to be a close second." Blossom shook her head slightly as she agreed with me, a smile lighting up her whole face and causing her eyes to crinkle faintly at the edges. I looked around the room, breaking our eye contact, and noticed our siblings were gone, having shut the door. "Hey, where's everyone?" I asked, adrenaline at once pumping through me. "They left us alone?"

"Apparently," Blossom said. She was gazing up at me, her face suddenly soft-looking. "That's not very smart of them." I could feel my stomach churn again and my whole face felt hot. Blossom was so close to me, her knees occasionally brushing against mine. She was leaning toward me, just enough that I could catch a whiff of her strawberry scent; and, as if pulled by some unknown force, I felt my body lean towards hers, closing the space. Within seconds our noses were nearly touching and I felt myself relax. As she closed her eyes and leaned forward, though, my brain suddenly woke up. She was a _Powerpuff_. She _hated_ me. What the hell was I _doing_?

In a flurry of movement I jumped away from her, leaving her to drift awkwardly back to her normal sitting position. "Well," I said, standing up. "Nice chat. See ya." And with that, I sped away, my heart screaming in protest, but my brain breathing a sigh of relief as I narrowly dodged becoming a pet to that _thing_.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom blinked, once, twice, her heart returning to its normal pace. She shook her head as her sisters burst into her room, asking her why Brick had suddenly left, what had happened, if they had fought or got along. The red-head merely shrugged her shoulders and told them the truth: she had no idea why he left, but she thought they had been getting along. Her sister's then looked back and forth from each other, trying to decipher that cryptic message. However, Blossom seemed unwilling to elaborate, so they took her hint and floated out of her room. The girl yawned, then, and got ready for bed, crawling under the thick comforter with a sigh. Then, Blossom closed her eyes, trying to think what could have happened that would make Brick run away like that…

She remembered he had asked her about her favorite food. She told him it was spaghetti without meatballs, and when he knowingly nodded his head, the girl knew they shared that in common as well. She flitted her eyes away to see if her siblings were there and found they were gone. The girl then strained her ears and heard them downstairs, completely ignoring the two in the room right above. Emboldened by this, the girl leaned forward, almost as if it was a reflex. She was without fear of his reaction and continued scooting towards him, stuck staring in his tentative eyes, the eyes she longed to figure out and make clear. He then mentioned how pizza was his second favorite, and, naturally, the girl agreed. Brick then broke their eye contact and had also noted that they were totally alone. The girl had gotten even closer, feeling his hard, muscular knee brush casually against her fragile, petite one. A sudden audacity filled Blossom's being and she started leaning toward the boy, wanting so badly to know what those rough, chapped lips felt like against her own, and determined to find out. She could smell a woody scent that the girl had never noticed before, and it drove her to lean even closer, their noses touching. Blossom felt Brick's whole body relax as he too leaned in and she closed her eyes, excitement flooding through her in spurts. However, the boy suddenly pulled back and stood up, confusion and desperation filling his already indecisive eyes. Then, in a flash he was gone, leaving Blossom to sit there awkwardly until joined by her sisters and get to her present state.

The red-head rubbed her eyes and accidentally brushed the bruise, wincing. She then glared at the draping over her and mentally gave herself a beating for thinking such things about Brick. He was a player, a jerk, and, above all, a criminal. There was no way she felt anything for him. Besides… He didn't feel anything for her… right…? The girl scrunched up her eyes and tried to fall asleep without thinking about the boy in the hat with those hesitant and confused eyes.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The rest of the week passed with a certain silent agreement between the two red-heads. Blossom saw Brick in her same classes, but both were much more reserved than they ever had been before. They weren't quite ignoring one another—more like quietly acknowledging each other. Brick sat elsewhere in their Physics class, but Blossom began to notice him around the school. He seemed to be around every corner she turned, not looking at her; however, the girl kept her peripheral vision on the boy, and as soon as he appeared to think she wasn't looking, he stared her down, an unusual longing filling his eyes, replaced quickly by confusion. Blossom hadn't told her big-mouthed sisters about these distanced encounters, but the entire high school seemed to know. Blossom was often bombarded with questions about the boy who had made half her face black and blue, but all the girl could say was that they were no longer fighting and she hadn't spoken to him since that day; which was a bit misleading, she admitted.

When she went home on the last day of school before winter break, Blossom found herself wondering through the air of Townsville. She couldn't find a reason to go home, besides sit around, for they had finals that day and got out early. The girl's stomach growled loudly and she was glad Bubbles and Buttercup had gone off with their boyfriends to celebrate. She thought of stopping by her favorite Italian diner, but was suddenly surprised to turn and see Brick hovering not a few yards away from her. The girl floated towards him, but stopped halfway, remembering how he had run from her. She didn't know how he felt about her, if he even wanted to talk to her again; but, the red-head found an unknown boldness inside of her heart and kept moving to him.

"Hi," she called out, not wanting to startle him. He turned to look at her, his eyebrows slightly rising. "How've you been?" Blossom locked herself in his mesmerizing eyes as soon as he turned to face her fully and couldn't look away, scrutinizing them and trying to pinpoint his feeling.

"Fine," he answered, looking down at his hands. "You?" Blossom shrugged, her stomach protesting as it roared loudly. A smirk then appeared on Brick's gruff face. "Hungry?"

"Yeah," she said, wrapping her arms around her midriff. "Have you had lunch yet?" He shook his head and gazed down at the restaurants below. "Would you mind joining me? You know… so we could talk some more and not destroy stuff?" Brick squinted his eyes a bit, pondering the idea, but shrugged one shoulder in agreement.

"Sure. Why not?" They both floated down to the Italian diner, in favor again. The boy and girl walked in and sat, waiting for the waiter. As they waited, the two sat in an uncomfortable silence and took turns looking out the window and the rest of the patrons. All of a sudden, though, Brick began talking. "What exactly happened back at your house?"

Blossom's heart immediately stopped beating and she felt her face drain of color. She had been wondering the same thing and didn't have an answer for him. "I… Honestly, I don't know." She turned to find him gazing piercingly at her and she felt her face soften. "For some reason…" The girl covered her face as she told those eyes her account of the tale. "I… just found myself getting closer to you. I don't know why…" She chanced a glance at him but found he was staring out the window. Blossom then became occupied with those rough lips of his, having to sit on her own hands to stop them from reaching out and touching them. Then, unbidden, the image of her lips capturing his own ravaged through the red-head's mind and she jolted without warning. Brick, too, jumped, looking at her oddly. The girl, embarrassed as she was, tilted her head down, and missed Brick examine her tiny lips as well, slightly leaning in. As Blossom went to glance back at him, she found he was inches away, his eyes determined and sure. Her heart raced and she, too, leaned until Brick stopped. His eyes shot wide open and rage filled them.

"_Stop_!" he shouted, acquiring the attention of the entire restaurant. "_Stop_ it! Get _out_! GET _OUT_ OF MY HEAD!" Blossom sat back, wide-eyed, as the burning scarlet overtook his pupils. A beam shot out of them, right at the girl's head, and she had to duck to miss having her entire head shot. The girl was extremely confused, of course, but she was now acting on instinct. She threw the table at Brick, pinning him under it and called out to the owner of the diner, apologizing over and over as she rushed out, trying to get Brick out in the open. Her plan succeeded, and he was out in a flash, having burst the table into flames with his heat beam. In seconds the two were standing feet apart, glaring fiercely.

"I didn't even do anything!" Blossom shouted, trying to calm Brick down before he totally lost it.

"You didn't do anything!" he repeated in a mocking tone. "That's a _lie_ and you know it!" Blossom shook her head, tired of his behavior.

"Then enlighten me," she said calmly, the two beginning to circle one another. "Because I _really_ don't know what I did to piss you off so much."

Brick threw his head back and laughed, turning to jeer at her. "The whole act—you thought you could get me to fall for you like my idiot brothers fell for your sisters and turn good, making your job that much easier." Blossom actually stopped pacing, how shocked she was. He thought she was trying to trick him? "And you almost had me, too. All that junk about having the same interests as me, how you tried to kiss me back in your room… Good thing I was smart enough to get out before you did. I might've turned…" Blossom just stared at him; this entire time, Brick thought she was trying to seduce him, to get him to change.

"Smart?" she called out, causing him to stop. "You think you're _smart_? You've got to be the stupidest person I've ever met." Brick's eyebrows furrowed, glaring at her suspiciously.

"What?" he asked, honest confusion dripping into his steel-filled voice.

"I wasn't acting. There was no trick, no angle. I was just trying to get to know you for the sake of the school. I wasn't trying to make you fall in love with me. If that happened…" Blossom paused for effect. "It was all your own doing." She thought she saw something in him for a second, though she wasn't sure what it was. An understanding rested in his eyes—if only for a brief moment—to be replaced by a certain rage.

"No," he said, voice full of murderous conviction. "It's all a game. And you're still playing, trying to get me to lose. But I _won't_. I _won't_ let you win!" With that, the boy flung himself at her and pinned her in a split-second. Not waiting for his brothers to come and stop him, he raised his fists and punched Blossom in the face, once on the right, once on the left, two, three, four times. Purple marks were beginning to form on the girls face, tears streaming down her cheeks as she inhaled deeply and blew white hot flames at him, sending him flying. She stood shakily and pinpointed his exact location, darting over to him and kicking his stomach, sending him soaring once again, this time through an office building. The girl noted the destruction and flew upwards, taking the fight to the air.

The battle went on for an hour before Bubbles, Buttercup, Boomer, and Butch showed up, horrified. Blossom and Brick were fighting brutally, noses bleeding, bruises appearing, clothes ripped, hair askew, cuts oozing. They grabbed their respective siblings, dragging them away. However, Blossom broke free and blasted at Brick like a bullet, smashing through the other two boys. She grabbed him by his collar and sped off, out running her sisters just long enough to ask him, "Still think I'm playing a game?" His eyes went wide as she shot him at point-blank with her heat beams, sending him crashing to the ground, unconscious.

**Author's Note: Will these two EVER stop fighting? Hm. I decided to post this, mostly because of Marisa Lee's review. I mean, I have the story _done_, right? Why not just keep going!**

**Hope you liked this… Please review! Thanks! _~Passez une bonne journée!~_**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	5. A Note and a Coward

I opened my eyes with difficulty, at once noticing my throbbing headache. I hissed as I clenched my entire head, rolling into the fetal position. "Why does my head hurt?" I asked the air.

To my surprise, it answered, sounding just like Butch. "You fell. About fifty stories. Because you thought Blossom was trying to trick you into falling in love with her. Like a total _ass_." I glared at the open space, my headache impeding this action somewhat.

"How do you know she wasn't trying to trick me?" I asked, trying to sound menacing.

"Uh, she threw you _fifty stories_ to the ground. If a girl was trying to get a guy, I don't think that's one of the first things she does…" I turned just enough to glower at Boomer. "Look, Brick, we know how you like your conspiracy theories…" I scoffed, interrupting him. "But Blossom was honestly just trying to make the principal happy. She says she had no intentions of 'changing you'." We sat in silence for a while as I digested what my brothers had told me. After a few minutes, though, Butch became restless.

"I have to ask," he said. I turned to look at him and he began. "Blossom said you told her to 'get out of your head' before you attacked her… Care you share why?" I flopped over to avoid both pairs of prying eyes.

"No." Thankfully, neither of them argued the point and left, leaving me to my thoughts. And why I had stated that before jumping into action…

Ever since that encounter in her bedroom, I had been thinking of Blossom all the time; and not just the idle, speculating you sometimes do. I was _thinking_ about that girl—wondering. I wondered what she did in her spare time; what she thought about pink compared to red; what she thought about _me_; what her hand felt like intertwined with mine; what her petite body felt like, pushed closely against mine; what her fine orange locks felt like, twisting through my fingers; what her small, red lips felt like pressed against mine; what her few curves felt like under my calloused hands; and I wondered if she wondered these things about me. The girl was driving me crazy. I had dreams about her, too—dreams where I saved her from an impending danger and, like a true hero, kissed her passionately at the end of the rescue; dreams where she realized I was the only one for her and came to me, begging me to hold her, to kiss her; dreams where I stood, looking down a long aisle to see her dressed in white… I always awoke from these dreams happy, content. But I then saw what they meant for me. I was going soft, _falling_ for that thing. I would strengthen my resolve, know I would never have anything to do with her. However, as slumber beckoned to me, my mind subconsciously implored her to return to my sleeping hours—and she always would, more enchanting and vivid than before.

That last day of school, I had been thinking about her all through my Pre-Calculus final. She was so distracting I made myself finish the test as quickly as I could—while being accurate—just so I could daydream about the girl in pink. It was like she was a drug; I knew I should stop, that it was bad for me… But some _urge_ inside of me kept asking, '_Once_ more couldn't be so bad… could it?' And by then end of class, I was hooked.

As I left my classroom, I ran to my locker, deposited my things, and sprinted back to her hallway, hoping to walk behind her and watch her go. I must have missed her, though, for she was no where in sight and I floated out the doors, depressed. Then, when she called to me from above downtown Townsville, it was like a dream come true. There she was, the girl who filled my every waking and non-waking minute, asking me to have lunch with her. My heart soared as I agreed; but as we sat in the diner, my brain started to have a fearsome debate with my heart: was this real… or a trap? As I sat, trying to deny feelings I knew were there, I convinced myself this was all a game. Blossom was toying with me, trying to get me to become like her. She didn't really care for me; didn't really love me, want to be with me, lie in my arms, be kissed by my lips. So… I began to wonder why she had tried. Her answer would be my confirmation that this was all one big lie and the girl I wanted to be with was messing with me. When she couldn't answer, I knew I was right, knew she was playing a game, and I was the pawn. I almost punched her, right there. But then, a twinge of doubt echoed throughout my head, and I turned, glancing at her rosy lips. I couldn't help but lean in as my heart hoped and wished she would do the same with clear, honest eyes. However, my brain stopped my heart as we were centimeters apart. My eyes shot open and, overtaken with rage, I yelled at her, telling her to get out of my head.

As I thought over our battle, I felt heavy-hearted. I had acted like a fool, making things up to 'save myself'. And as I lied there, drifting uneasily to sleep, I _consciously_ begged my dreams to feature her—feature the girl I wanted _so badly_, and have her want me, too.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Winter break came and went by quietly, allowing Blossom to nurse her aching head and fume about the boy who had given the bruises to her. The red-head knew then, in those days, that she could never come to be civil with that menace. He was outlandish, rude, impulsive, idiotic, close-minded, maddening, and, above all, heart-breaking. Blossom had tried—honestly tried—to get to know this boy. ...She had even found herself thinking of him more and more often, hoping he would approach her at school and talk to her, waking up with the slight remembrance of dreams that had been filled with those uncertain eyes... Blossom shook her head on her way to school, the first day back from break. She had a plan of action to outright avoid him, ignore him, and, if the worst came, to not physically attack him, but get a teacher. She knew it was a bit unorthodox for her temperament, but her face had throbbed in approval as soon as she thought of that last bit. The girl bravely floated into her Physics class and sat, watching the door out of the corner of her eye. Her classmates commented on the gruesome sight that was her head, but she waved them away, telling them it came with the job. In truth, Princess had made a brief appearance over the holidays, so she attributed her wounds to that. As soon as the bell rang, the crowd around her desk dissipated and Blossom found Brick was already sitting at his own desk. She huffed, disciplining herself for missing his entrance, and turned to pick up her pen; however, her hand brushed a scrap of paper instead. She gazed suspiciously around the room, her eyes landing on the red hat, and opened the note.

"Hey. Look, I'm really sorry about what I did. I was... wrong. If you'd be willing to meet me at the Park after school today, to apologize in person, you'd be the most forgiving person in the world, meeting with someone who clearly doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as you. I'll wait until you come, or I collapse from exhaustion and miss school tomorrow. Thanks for reading this."

The note appeared to be written as nicely as the boy could, using a pen with fresh black ink on a perfectly folded piece of stark white paper. Blossom sighed heavily, not knowing what to do. She definitely didn't want to go talk to him. ...But she knew if he apologized, she'd feel a whole lot better about the agreement her sisters made with the principal. The girl continued like that, thinking of reasons to go and not go for the rest of school. She walked through the halls, a blank expression on her face, occasionally running into other students and receiving dirty looks. However, the red-head didn't notice and said good-bye to her sisters when they flew off with Boomer and Butch. Blossom, alone, let her body take her where it may, and found herself outside of the Townsville park. She crouched by the gate and peered inside, spotting Brick sitting by the turned-off fountain. The girl went to stand up, but halted midway and dropped to her knees again, ignoring the snow just beginning to fall. Blossom silently cursed at herself for neglecting a heavy coat, but continued sitting there, have a full-out battle in her mind of whether or not she should approach the boy sitting a few yards away. Blossom knelt until her knees were numb and about an inch of snow had fallen; her hands were frozen and her nose was running furiously, but, thankfully, the war in her mind was finally over. She stood, creaking as she did so, and took a deep intake of breath before marching through the snow to the boy.

Brick hopped up at once, his face lighting up. "You came," he said, almost in a whisper, disbelief and relief flooding his voice. "I didn't think you would. I was sure you were way too pissed to even read the note, once you realized it was from me. Thanks so much—" Blossom held up her hand to stop him.

"Shut up. Before I change my mind." Brick did as she asked and stood, attentive to her every move. "Now, don't say anything until I've finished." He nodded and the girl began. Blossom huffed once before speaking again, stalling to collect her thoughts. "I want you to know that I never had the intention of seducing you. You can be whoever you want to be, do whatever you want to do. My goal with proposing us eat together was for the sake of my sisters—and their _boyfriends_. I don't exactly respect your brothers, no offense, but I don't want to see my sisters get hurt. I now promise to never try to mislead you in any way. This means that whatever you may think, I'm not trying to get you to fall for me and I _don't _have any feelings for you." Blossom breathed a sigh of relief as she finished, although there was a part of her that greatly disliked that last statement. She pressed the sentiment away, though, and continued. "I'm done. You can talk, now."

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

As Blossom said those words, my heart split in two. I felt a wetness fog over my eyes, but pushed it away, trying to focus on what she was saying. I missed it, though, for my very essence was crying out in resentment and pain. She didn't care for me, didn't feel anything for me; she was just doing this for her sisters. I instantly put up my guard and realized she was waiting for me to talk. "Okay." I shifted awkwardly, my plan totally ruined. I had wanted to apologize and then, while she was forgiving me, I would look into those cheery eyes, glance down at those scarlet lips, and have the courage to tell her that I loved her, capping off the confession with a kiss. See, as I had lied in bed that night, having fevered dreams, I had come to terms with my emotions; I _loved_ Blossom, held a passionate infatuation for her, and had an unprecedented attraction towards her whole being. I quit fighting the feeling and let it come, hitting me like a brick wall—and once I had, there was a sudden bravery to write the note, followed by intense happiness and euphoria. I was in _love_; in love with a girl who had the kindest heart, the greatest mind, and everything I had always unknowingly wanted in a long-time girlfriend. I then understood what my brothers had felt when they began dating Bubbles and Buttercup, and begged for that same feeling. I went to sleep with an open mind, and had the most fantastic dreams, picturing her sitting on my lap and kissing me; picturing her lying with me in a grassy field, simply content to hold one another's hands; picturing her on her bed, my fingers running up and down her half-covered body as I took those delicate lips in my own... I pushed all those thoughts away, though, and focused merely on apologizing.

"I'm so sorry for how I... beat the crap out of you. I should have given you a chance to explain yourself, to tell me what was really going on. I should have listened to you, shouldn't have egged you on. Blossom, I'm sorry." I looked at her, expecting to see her gazing intently at me, wondering if I was being honest or not. However, the girl who held my heart wasn't looking at me at all; she was clutching her arms and shivering violently. "Are you alright?" She whipped her head to look up at me and nodded.

"Y-y-y-e-e-a-a-a-h," she chattered. I rolled my eyes and unzipped my jacket, beckoning her towards me.

"You're obviously _not_. Come here." When she hesitated, I was filled with courage and stepped up to the girl, wrapping her up in the coat and holding her close to me. My heart beat frantically as she seemed to fit herself perfectly into my body frame. She was quite a bit shorter than me, for I could comfortably fit my chin on the top of her head. I breathed gently, though, treasuring the moment. Blossom seemed to be thinking hard, wondering what she should do—but, eventually, she settled on doing the one thing that made my heart soar: she brought her arms away from my chest, and wrapped them around my waist, pulling herself even closer to me. I hugged her tightly to myself, utter joy coursing through me. Then, with another surge of bravery, I pulled back a bit so I could look into her light eyes and examine her small lips. I leaned in, my heart thumping loud and fast in my chest. My eyes were closed, but then, with a shot of nervousness, my brain shouted the opposite of my heart and forced me to take a step back, leaving her in the cold. I gazed pitifully into her eyes and saw the hurt that lie there. In a frenzied movement I shed my coat and held it out to her, taking off in a streak of red as soon as it met her capable hands. As I zoomed towards my house, wet stung at my eyes again, and I mentally beat myself up, feeling more cowardly than I ever had before in my life.

**Author's Note: Last one for tonight… I promise. ;)**

**Please review, as always. Thanks for reading!**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	6. A Realization and a Jealous Boy

Blossom stood in the snow, holding Brick's coat, confusion filling her. For one thing, she was curious at Brick's actions—he had held her close, held her tight; then, when he went to kiss her, the boy jerked back, a certain spinelessness pouring off of him in waves, and took off, leaving her with his jacket. The girl flew home, trying to decipher these cryptic events, but could come up with only one logical explanation: the boy had feelings for her, feelings he wasn't totally reconciled with, even if he thought he was. As Blossom pondered this, though, she began wondering about her own actions. When Brick pulled her into his chest, a shock of elation went through her. He was incredibly warm and the red-head had nestled as close as she could to him; however, she began thinking, pondering if this was the right thing for her to be doing. The girl finally decided on letting her body take over and found her arms reaching around the boy, linking around his waist and tugging him closer. For a moment she was shocked; but as they stood there in each other's arms, Blossom had stopped fighting and let the feeling come. Then, as he began leaning in towards her lips, images of the two of them flashed through her mind, and the girl tried to remember what they were. The first was of Brick, smiling heavenly at her, their faces brushing against each other; the second was of them both, Brick holding her up against a wall and kissing her lips, jaw line, and neck; the third Blossom could recall was of them on a bed, Brick shirtless as he tugged off her own clothes, kissing her slowly but deliberately; the fourth she could barely picture... but the girl distinctly remembered seeing naked skin and their lips locked tightly together, hands flying to forbidden places. Unfortunately, the images had shattered when Brick jumped away and took off after handing her the coat.

The girl went to bed that night and dreamed of Brick, dreamt of holding him, kissing him, _being _with him. As she awoke, Blossom knew she had it badly. She was hopelessly in love with a boy who had shied away from kissing her three times. A bit put out, the girl knew that, even though he kept _trying _to kiss her, he most likely was afraid of being with her and didn't want to be in a relationship with the red-head. Blossom felt like she was closing a great opportunity, but it was better than allowing her heart to hope and yearn for the boy who was scared of commitment. She pushed any thoughts of the boy in red away, with some difficulty, but managed to leave her home for school that morning with her thoughts completely Brick-free. As she walked in the front doors, however, he immediately filled her head when she saw posters for the Sweet-Heart Dance in February the Student Council always held for a fund raising event. She tried to keep the images away of herself in a hot pink dress, hanging on the boy's arm and dancing the night away, sharing a first kiss under the moon... but it came anyway, playing over and over throughout the day. Thankfully, though, she kept herself under control and dealt with avoiding talking to Brick for the rest of the week. She flat out ignored him, wanting to not 'tempt' him. It was hard, and she swore she caught him lustfully staring after her throughout the hallways, but Blossom kept her resolve and went home, day after day, finding it was getting easier to leave him alone. Eventually, she began talking to a boy in her Pre-Calculus class by the name of Jacob, a boy with tan skin, chocolate brown hair, and extremely dark brown eyes. He was easy to talk to and Blossom appreciated his company as she was—unknown to anyone else—getting over another boy. He wasn't terribly bright, but he seemed to care for the girl, and when he asked her to the Sweet-Heart Dance not two weeks away, Blossom eagerly said yes. She already had a dress picked out, and couldn't wait for the day to come.

After what seemed like an eternity, February tenth came, the day of the dance. It was a Friday, and after school, Blossom dashed home, excitement coursing through her. As she walked in the front door, she found her sisters frantically getting ready upstairs. Buttercup was darting from room to room, desperately searching for her shoes, while Bubbles was nearly in tears in the bathroom, fretting over her hair. "It won't do what I want!" she bawled into the Professor's sleeve, slightly smudging her mascara.

"Bubbles, let me help," Blossom offered, grabbing the curling iron, bobby pins, and hairspray as she did so. In minutes she had Bubbles' uncooperative hair lying in a stylish up-do, hair sprayed so much it wouldn't budge. "There," she said with a happy sigh, grinning at her youngest sister. "How's that?" Bubbles turned her head side to side, examining the red-head's work.

"It's perfect!" she shrieked giddily, hugging Blossom tightly. "Thanks so much, Blossom! I love it!" She skipped merrily out of the bathroom to show Buttercup, who had found her shoes. The girls both came upstairs, then, helping their eldest sister change into her own dress.

"Blossom..." Buttercup began, stepping back to stare in awe of the red-head. "You look _hot_." The girl giggled in response, shaking her head.

"I bet I don't look as good as you do, Buttercup." The green-eyed girl simply shrugged and the three went downstairs. "So, are you two meeting up with Boomer and Butch?" Bubbles nodded.

"We're going to go together and meet outside the school. But..." she trailed off, glancing quickly at Buttercup. "We were wondering if you and Jacob wanted to join us." Blossom's eyebrows raised in shock as she observed her sisters.

"Like, go all together?" Bubbles nodded, a smile on her face. "Well, I wouldn't mind, but it's a bit late, right? Jacob wouldn't know..." Buttercup rolled her eyes.

"I can just call Butch and tell him to go get him." She whipped out her cell phone at once and dialed Butch's number with practiced ease. "It's me. I'm good. You? Great. Look, I need you to go pick up Jacob—Blossom's date. Because we're going to all go _together_." She laughed at something he had said. "I'm serious. Will you do it?" Buttercup sighed in exasperation as Butch must have agreed to do so, only on a certain condition. "What is it? ...The _entire _time? Fine. Yeah, well, I hate you, too. See ya." She turned her phone off and looked awkwardly back at her sisters, who were regarding her with prying, knowing eyes. "What?"

Blossom smirked. "We were just wondering what it was Butch wanted you to do for him to go get Jacob." Bubbles nodded, a giant grin on her face. Buttercup's face instantly went fiery red and she turned her head away, sticking her nose up in the air.

"He made me promise that whenever we aren't dancing together or eating, I have to sit on his lap and kiss him." The two sisters giggled. "Shut up!" she shouted, glaring fiercely at them. After the sisters had finished their laughing, the three departed, saying good-bye to the Professor and taking off into the sky; and, although Blossom was excited to be attending the dance with Jacob, she secretly hoped Brick would be there and see her, watch her, want her, lust after her. She knew they were high expectations... but she just couldn't help but want to see those red eyes stare after her greedily.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

I watched from the couch as my brothers got ready for the Sweet-Heart Dance. As soon as I saw the posters I had thought of asking Blossom; but my dumb head had kept me from doing so, insisting I stay at home. "Stupid tux," Butch muttered, stretching the cloth to its extent with his powerful muscles. "If this rips, I swear..." Just then his cell phone began buzzing annoyingly and he picked it up quickly. "Hello? Oh, hey Bup. How're you? Same. What's up?" He kept silent and I could hear Buttercup talking on the other end. "_Why_?" he suddenly asked, sighing. "Couldn't it just be you and me, alone, at my house...?" I heard her tinkling laugh and with a sigh Butch agreed to whatever it was she wanted. "Yeah... But only on one condition." His eyes lit up as he forced her to agree to his terms. "Whenever we're not dancing or eating, you have to sit on my lap and kiss me. The whole time. Love you, babe. Bye." He chuckled as he put his phone away, then glanced over at Brick.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Bup wants Boomer and me to go get Blossom's date." As my brother said the words I tensed up, my insides churning with jealous fury. I sat there, fuming, as Butch finished getting ready and called Boomer to the front door. "Brick, are you sure you don't want to come?" I didn't even turn to look at him as I spoke.

"I'm thinking about it. I might come, but I won't wait for you guys to go in. You're just picking up that guy and then going to the school, right?" Boomer nodded. "'Kay. See ya." Butch shrugged his shoulders again and pushed Boomer out the door. As soon as I heard the lock click in place, I stood up and began pacing. Blossom had a date; she really had no feelings for me, none whatsoever. My jealousy reared its head, baiting me, telling me to go to the dance, totally cleaned up, and just watch—maybe even dance with other girls who had no date, to see if that got a reaction from my pink-eyed fantasy. I knew it was bit risky, but I had thrown caution to the wind, getting dressed in the extra tux Butch had picked up for me. All of our tuxedoes were the same, save the tie color, which matched our eyes. I attempted to comb my hair, but eventually decided to let it be, and put my hat on, not able to be without it. I examined myself in the mirror and thought I looked ruggedly handsome. Happy with how I looked, I rushed out of our house and sped to the school, getting there just as they were letting people in. I paid for my ticket and strolled into the gym, my eyes scanning for the girl. However, I knew that they'd be a little late, so I took to standing right by the entrance door, waiting. I wasn't let down, though, as not five minutes later, they processed in.

Boomer came in first, Bubbles hanging on his arm. Boomer was in his tux, but my eyes were drawn to Bubbles. Her hair was up in half of a French twist, the rest falling down, framing her face in golden curls. Her dress was a baby blue color, covered in glitter. It was strapless and wrapped around the middle, creating a faux belt. It puffed out after it met her waist, barely brushing on the floor. It was a stunning effect, but I merely regarded her as beautiful—nothing more. Butch entered next, immediately picking Buttercup up and pulling her into a tight lip-lock. She eagerly kissed him back, her short black hair outlining her face, turned up slightly at the ends. Her deep green dress matched Butch's tie perfectly, and had one strap comprised of many folds in the fabric, making it seem to puff out. It was short, barely meeting her knees, and hugged her middle tightly. She was stunning, but, again, off-limits and not causing me to want anything from her. I was getting impatient, but, finally, Blossom walked in with her date. My eyes caught her at once and I hungrily stared at her long, tan leg, protruding from a slit in her hot pink, strapless dress that went up to her mid-thigh. There was a pink and black sequin zebra pattern forming a belt around her waist and the top half, covering her chest. My eyes boggled at how breath-takingly _hot _she was, her hair straightened and falling to her lower back, and I found myself imagining my fingers winding around in that hair, and a smile crept onto my face—however, I then spotted her date, and recognized him as Jacob Litely, an absolutely dim-witted boy in my Computer Sciences class. His dark hair covered his eyes, and as they walked past me, his hand went from her upper back, to her lower back, and then just a bit lower still. I actually growled at him, holding myself back from the boy who I felt like punching in the face. I watched them as they went to the dance floor, a slow song beginning. I rolled my eyes as it started, not being able to believe my luck. He pulled her toward himself, wrapping his arms a bit too comfortably around her waist, and she gingerly and awkwardly put her arms around his neck. She was taller than him with her heels on, I noted, smiling smugly at how clumsily she tired to rest her head on his shoulder without hunching over. Eventually, Blossom gave up and went to looking right over his head, scanning around the gym. I held my breath as her eyes came closer to finding whatever it was she was looking for. I knew what it was as soon as she spotted it—for it was me. Our eyes met and locked together, not blinking, not moving. I let the air out of my lungs slowly, but didn't move, not daring to break our contact from halfway across the gym. Unfortunately, though, the song stopped and Jacob pulled her away to go sit with _my _brothers and their dates and eat.

I walked over to the table and joined them, seeing as there was an open seat and they were my family. "Hi, Brick!" Bubbles called cheerily. "Boomer said you might not show. I'm glad you decided to come!" I smiled politely at her, not really paying attention. "What made you change your mind?" She asked this just as Jacob and Blossom sat down, the latter staring at me with hesitant eyes.

"Well... Let's just say I realized there are only so many chances to experience this... And I definitely didn't want to miss out." I looked pointedly and hungrily at the red-head, sitting directly across from me as I said this, and I saw her cheeks darken, though the rest of her face remained composed. I turned, though, breaking our eye contact, to Butch and Buttercup. Butch was eating a piece of cake, while Buttercup lustfully kissed his cheeks, chin, neck, and lips when he wasn't in the process of shoving the fork in his mouth. "Will you two get a room?" I jeered. Buttercup ignored me and Butch merely shrugged.

"The funny part is that she was resigned to this whole arrangement in the first place." He opened his mouth to say more, but Buttercup realized his mouth was free to be kissed, and smothered him with her lips. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the rest of the table.

"So, I don't believe we've met before," Jacob said, smiling mockingly at me. He didn't appear to remember me, but could feel the jealously peeling off of me in waves and seemed to be enjoying making fun of my loss and his gain. "What's your name?"

I raised my eyebrow and leaned back in the chair, almost tipping it over, but not quite. "Buster," I said, my face completely serious. The other people around the table let their eyes go wide, but I looked to each and every one of them, silencing them. "Yours?"

"Jacob," he said sweetly, driving me crazy. "Are you here with anybody?" I shook my head and he sighed heavily. "Oh. Sorry. Is it weird to be here without a _date_?" I glared murderously at him and he shrank back against the chair.

I stood sharply and stormed away, calling back at him, "And my name's Brick. I'm in your Computer Sciences class, third period, ass-hole." I walked towards the dance floor and stopped, leaning against the wall. I glanced back at the table and saw Jacob sitting there in shock, standing up and grabbing Blossom, the pair walking to the floor and they began to dance. Jacob turned so he could see me and smiled, dropping his hands to the top of Blossom's butt. A fire burned in my heart, and I collected my thoughts and courage as I walked up to the slightly swaying pair and placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder.

**Author's Note: Ooooh! Jealousy! Huzzah! Will Brick _finally_ make his move? Leave your thoughts in the comments!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! Thanks 'specially to Marisa Lee—your reviews make me laugh… -w- _~Passez une bonne journée!~_**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	7. A Secret Letter and a Complication

Blossom's heart pounded quickly in her chest when she had first seen Brick, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, staring right at her. Her breath caught in her throat and she was stuck in his eyes, examining him with her peripherals. He was wearing a tux that matched his brothers, save for a blood red tie, and his signature hat. She sighed longingly at him as the song stopped and Jacob pulled her towards the table. She was glad she had come with him, but the look on Brick's face when she met his eyes reflected back in her mind, and all she could see was those slightly hurt eyes; however, she stopped those thoughts at once, telling herself he didn't care for her, didn't love her. She did feel a small flame burn into existence in her heart, though, as she sat at the table and found him sitting there, talking to Bubbles but staring at her. She heard Bubbles' question and Brick responded, causing her face to involuntarily heat, her mind imagining them together, on the dance floor, his hands at her hips, hers tugging at his hair, their lips caught together in the same rhythm as the music. She pushed the image away at once, though, simply listening for the rest of the time, a shocked look appearing on her face as Brick told Jacob a false name. She could feel the hostility pouring off of Brick and she got ready for his attack, bracing herself. However, the confrontation kept to words, and after Brick stomped away, Jacob took her wrist and said under his breath, "I'll show him, jealous punk." They walked to the dance floor and Jacob hugged her tightly, letting his hands drop little by little. Blossom couldn't see Brick, but knew Jacob was jeering at him, tempting him to even _try_. Jacob had turned them, but Blossom heard the clomping of shoes and caught a whiff of Brick's woody scent, her whole body tensing up as he lightly touched Jacob's shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked, a warm smile on his lips.

"Yes, actually, I—"

"Perfect," Brick interrupted, wrenching the boy away from Blossom and throwing him to the ground, halfway across the dance floor. "I knew you'd understand." Jacob stood up, his face red, but Brick simply picked Blossom up bridal style and floated up to the ceiling. Jacob stood below them, shouting and pointing, but eventually gave up and went to an empty table and sat there, seething. "I thought he'd never leave," Brick said lightly, causing Blossom to shake her head and smile. "I don't know what you see in that guy," he whispered cockily, still holding Blossom. Her hands were clasped together around his neck and she peered up into his red eyes, surprised to see them so sure. "You could do _so_ much better." His voice got softer still, and the boy took a deep breath, half closing his eyes and leaning in. Blossom's heart beat frantically, wondering if she would finally get to know what those rough, dry lips felt like pressed against her own. They were centimeters apart and Blossom could feel his hot breath on her face, his scent filling her nose, making her high. She closed her eyes and felt his lips barely touch her own, almost like a faint breeze of wind; she pressed forward, to fully kiss him, but found he was no longer there. She looked at him and saw his eyes were full of fear, and just as she opened her mouth to tell him she loved him, he dropped her and went zooming out through the window. Blossom immediately began flying herself and floated down, gazing wistfully at the window and deciding to go home after apologizing to Jacob over and over.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

The weeks passed and the two red-heads began avoiding each other more than usual, both having convinced themselves the other wanted nothing to do with them and hated their existence. Blossom was sure Brick was too afraid of what would happen if they were in a relationship—he didn't want to chain himself, belong to her. On the other hand, Brick was positive Blossom wasn't going to fall for a guy who was absolutely chicken to kiss her, especially when he was probably the biggest player in all of Townsville. So, the two went about their ways, being terribly miserable, but sure this was the only way to make the other happy; and it was imperative to keep this a secret. If anyone knew Blossom had fallen for the bad boy like her sisters and wished to hold his gruff hand as they walked down the halls, she would die of embarrassment. Likewise, if a single soul found out Brick dreamt of the goody-two-shoes, straight A Powerpuff on a regular basis, he would be the laughing stock of the whole school. Yes, being eternally miserable was much, much better in comparison.

Blossom woke on the first day of spring—well, this was not entirely accurate. In fact, she had been awake since eleven-thirty, thinking about the boy with the red hat... again. She was staring up at the red canopy, recalling that day in December when she mysteriously found herself at home after collapsing in the cold, with the vague memory of Brick's face filling her mind. The girl jumped slightly in her bed as her alarm went off and she smacked the pale pink clock and got out of bed, running to the window. Spring really had sprung on this first day, as if on queue. There was a massive collection of multi-colored flowers bursting from their front yard. She knew the Professor had planted them as soon as it got warm, and she smiled as she looked down on them, vivid pinks, greens, and blues, planted outside each girl's respective window. Then, right by the sidewalk, a flurry of rainbow colors bombarded any passerby. The girl could practically smell them from her window and got dressed, smiling for once. She put on a pastel pink tank top and black jean shorts that were covered in pink rhinestones on the butt. Then, with a frown and great reluctance, the red-head took out a cheap silver necklace with a heart pendant and put it on. She had gotten it from Jacob, whom she was currently dating, for their one month anniversary. She had half-heartedly written him a letter and had gotten him a large bag of Snickers Fun Size candy bars, his favorite treat. Her boyfriend, meanwhile, had obviously forgotten, for he acted surprised when she handed him the note and showed up at her house around seven with a messily wrapped box and hurried good-bye. When Blossom opened the package, she found the necklace and nearly hurled it against the wall. It was made of a cheap plastic, the silver paint chipping in places. Then, when she showed up to school the next day without the gift on, Jacob had the gall to act betrayed and hurt, guilt-tripping her into wearing it every day since then. She hated the necklace, hated the way he talked to her now that they were together, and hated him. The only reason she stayed with him was because it was better than being alone and wishing for Brick.

The girl flew to school quickly with her sisters and went to her locker. She unlocked it by muscle memory and pulled the latch up, letting the door swing open. With a slight sigh, she pulled her books out of her backpack and went to set them down, almost squashing the neatly folded piece of paper laying there. She stared at it blankly for a moment, then picked it up, unfolding it and becoming more and more curious. It was typed, making it impossible to tell who it was actually from, and as she read it, Blossom couldn't help but feel her cheeks heat. She quickly folded it back up and zipped it in her bag, right next to where she kept her lady products, positive no one would ever look there. She thought about the note as she waited for her sisters to finish at their own lockers, having been sidetracked by their respective boyfriends.

"Hey, Bloss. I don't know when you'll see this, but I just want you to know you're the most stunning and fantastic person I've ever seen before. Your eyes are captivating, endless pools of beauty and passion. Your hair is like pure copper, shining blissfully in the sun, the envy of all who see it. And your lips... Your perfect, petite lips, are what every woman wants in her life. I'm too shy to tell you this in person, but know that when it's all over, the sky is falling down on you, and it feels like there's no way out, I'll always be there, gathering up my courage to tell you to your face what I can now only write in this secret letter... I love you, Blossom. Please, wait for me...

~Your S.A. Mystery"

She knew the 'S.A.' referred to Secret Admirer, the Mystery completing the false name 'Sam'. Just remembering the letter made her heart beat fast, and she didn't notice her sisters calling to her. "Blossom!" Bubbles shouted, breaking the red-head out of her trance. "What is it?" she asked when her eldest sister motioned for the two of them to come closer.

"What?" Buttercup asked angrily, glancing back at Butch with longing eyes.

"Look at this," she breathed, getting the note out of her bag and handing it to the girls. They read it quickly, their eyes drinking in every last word. When they finished, both were looking at her with small, knowing smiles. "Who do you think it could be?" she questioned excitedly, practically bouncing up and down. Buttercup rolled her eyes and Bubbles giggled. "What?"

"As if you don't know who it is," Bubbles said, smiling.

"Huh? What do you mean?" The eldest girl furrowed her brow, honestly confused.

"And I thought _you _were the smart one," Buttercup replied, shaking her head. When Blossom crossed her arms dangerously, though, her sister lightened up. "C'mon. Its gotta be Brick!"

The idea hit her like a wall; and once she heard it, she knew it had to have been him. She could imagine him sitting at one of the library computers, fingers running through his coarse hair as he looked around, making sure no one would catch him. The girl pictured him typing the words, trying desperately to make sure his feelings came through; saw him enter the school in the early hours so he could place it in her locker unnoticed... She smiled brightly, her entire day getting a whole lot better. She told her sisters she was going to see if she could talk to him, and after they hugged and said good-bye, Blossom ran right into Jacob. "Hey, Sugar-babe," he said, calling her by the nickname she hated. His eyes flicked down to her neck to make sure the pendant was there, almost unnoticeably. "Have you heard the news?" Blossom barely reacted.

"What news?" Jacob put his hand up to his mouth and gasped theatrically, taking a swig of his water bottle after doing so.

"It's about that Buster dude or whatever," he said.

"Brick," she corrected, causing him to glance at her suspiciously. She rolled her eyes. "Jacob, I fought the kid for, like, eleven years. I _think _I'm entitled to know his name." He shrugged his shoulders and began talking again.

"Anyway, apparently he's got himself a girlfriend—and a slutty one." Blossom's heart beat nervously, fluttering in her chest. She put on a glassy expression, though, trying to not seem perturbed, recalling the note.

"Really? Good for him." Jacob looked over at her, his eyebrows rising.

"You don't care?"

"He can date whomever he likes, Jacob. Why _should_ I care?"

"Well," he said, uncomfortably clearing his throat. "You two seemed to... really hit it off at the dance in February."

"He dropped me from two stories up, after rudely knocking you to the ground... And you think we hit it off?" She chuckled slightly. "Besides, I have you." She grabbed his hand with conviction as they walked through the halls to Blossom's first class, passing by Brick's locker as they did so. "Besides... How bad can she be?" Jacob merely shook his head as they rounded the corner, looking straight at the red-eyed boy's locker.

"Pretty bad..." Jacob muttered. Blossom didn't hear him, though. Her brain had shut off, stopping all movement. Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes flooded, her body began shaking, and her heart snapped in two, so loud Blossom was sure her boyfriend right next to her had heard it. Brick was pinned to his locker by a girl wearing a red and pink plaid mini skirt, a pink tube top, and a messy bow that wrapped crazily around her orange hair. She was kissing him, fast and hard, her arms locked around his neck. His own hands were running greedily up and down her back, gently caressing her tan skin. Blossom stared in fury, her heart joining back together and forming a diamond-hard shield around itself. She was _done_. _Done_ with that boy, _done_ with trying, _done_ with love. She turned to Jacob, who was standing next to her cautiously, afraid she was going to blow. "Apparently, her name's Berserk and she goes to school about once every semester; I've never seen her before." Blossom recognized her, though. They had fought a few times when they were younger—she was apart of the Powerpunk Girls, total opposites of her and her sisters. The fuming red-head glanced at Jacob with a sick smile on, grabbing his arm and dragging him into the classroom.

"I don't care. I've got _you_, Jacob, and that's enough for me," she lied impressively, a jealous plan already cultivating in her mind, a plan to get Brick back and make sure he fell in love with her so she could rip his heart out of his chest, just like he did with her.

**Author's Note: _*Le gasp!*_ What will we do now! Has Berserk come to ruin _everything_ these two have got going? Find out soon! ;D _~Passez une bonne journée!~_**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	8. A Resolution and an Announcement

Not talking to Blossom every day was driving me crazy. Like, literally—I was going to loose it. But I knew I couldn't talk to her. She was probably too pissed at me for dropping her in the gym to even look at me, let alone have a conversation with me. I couldn't keep this held inside of me any longer, though; I had to tell her how I felt, even indirectly. So, I got the brilliant idea of writing a Secret Admirer note. It'd be simple, just write a quick note about how she meant more to me than anything, tell her I love her, and drop the letter in her locker—easy, right? Wrong. I tried writing, but I couldn't seem to get the pen to work right. It kept running out of ink, or exploding, the pencils kept breaking. Once I had finally written a note that _looked_ halfway decent, I realized something horrifying: I had already written Blossom a note. She would definitely recognize my messy scrawl, know it was me almost immediately. In a yell of desperation, I flew to the public library and sat myself in front of one of the ample computers and pulled up the program that would allow me to type my letter of affection. It was nerve-racking, and after an hour of apprehensively writing and re-writing the letter, constantly watching for any classmates, and guarding the printer as it shuffled out slowly, I had my note. I snatched up the document at once and flew straight home, carefully folding it and putting it into my bag. The next day I flew to the school as soon as it was open and dashed to Blossom's locker, carefully sliding it through the slots and waiting. I went back to my locker and paced, not being able to hold still—when I saw her.

She walked in, flanked on either side by who I assumed were her sisters. The one on her left had long blonde hair, a blue tank top and black mini skirt on, along with extremely high heels. To the girl's right was a girl with heavily spiked, short black hair, an extremely dark green, but short dress with a studded belt and bracelets. Both girls' screamed punk rock, but the one in the center caught my attention the most. She was wearing a hot pink tube top that showed her stomach, a red and pink plaid skirt that was so short I could almost see her underwear, and thigh high, white stockings. Her orange hair rippled down her back, stopping at her waist and adorned in a red bow that went everywhere. I stared at her as she walked by, never having seen her before. All three walked past, but the middle one stopped and approached me, a seductive smile planted firmly on her lips. Her deep red eyes stared straight into mine, and I saw her intentions clearly, backing up slowly against the lockers. This girl was pretty—but she straight up scared the ever-living crap out of me. "Hey," I said, trying to gather some of my wits. "I'm Brick. And you are...?"

"Available." Her voice was as smooth as silk, her every pore radiating that she wanted me. She stepped closer to me, forcing me even more into the lockers. "What do you say?" the girl said lustfully, glancing from my eyes to my lips and back again. "Wanna have a go with lil' ol' me?"

"I don't even know your name," I replied, trying to delay what I knew was inevitable.

She threw her head back, her laugh tinkling slightly. "Let's just say," she began, leaning in so she was right next to my ear, "if I don't get you? I might go a little Berserk." The girl then found my lips and captured them, throwing her hands behind my head and pulling forcefully on my hair. I tried to slide away, but she had me totally pinned, stuck between herself and the lockers. She broke apart, only for a split second, to say dangerously, "Kiss back." When I didn't comply, she punched me in the stomach, muttering, "Do it or I'll aim a little lower." I resentfully did as she said, the threat of this girl scaring me. It got a bit easier, as we continued—I simply imagined her as Blossom instead of the frightening person she was. I pictured myself making out with the pink-eyed wonder instead of this person I had just met. I heard people walking by and whispering quietly, saying I must have finally gotten myself another girlfriend. I knew the news was going to spread fast, but I didn't care; I was so focused on kissing my imaginary Blossom, I didn't have _time_ to care. Eventually I let my hands creep around her waist to her back and she chuckled lustfully as my hands travelled up and down her almost bare back. We continued, not breaking until the bell rang and I pried myself away, telling her I had to get to class. I didn't know what had come over me, why I had kissed her back so passionately. I scratched my head as I entered the classroom, not knowing the consequences of my actions.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom stood right by the school exit that Brick always used, waiting impatiently for Jacob. She told him to meet her right here, as soon as the final bell rang, and he was late. The red-head was transferring her weight from foot to foot, scanning the people near her for Jacob. Finally he appeared and asked, "What's up?" Before Blossom could tell him what she was planning, though, she saw Brick coming, Berserk no where in sight. Without another word, Blossom pulled Jacob towards her and kissed him, sliding her hands around his neck and playing with his soft, dark hair. Jacob replied by looping his arms around her waist and kissing back fully. Blossom creaked her eye open for a split second to see Brick standing there, glaring at Jacob and jealousy rolling off of him, permeating the air. He walked over to the couple and tapped Jacob on the shoulder. When the boy ignored him, he physically wrenched them apart.

"Get a room," he said, attempting to rid his face of its sour look and smirk.

"Like you did this morning?" Blossom chided, placing her hands on her hips. "Who are you to judge, play-boy?" Brick went fiery red at that and flew away, Berserk running out of nowhere after him. She took off in a streak of red and the girl with the pink trail followed, zipping by Berserk to grab Brick's shoe and stop him. He turned around quickly and glared, an envious rage filling his eyes.

"What?" he asked, kicking her hand away. "What do you want?"

"I was just wondering what you're doing with that girl—a girl you've never even met before today!" He opened his mouth, but his response was cut short as Berserk came zooming through the air and grabbed him.

"Stay away from what's mine, Puff." She leapt into Brick's arms and kissed his cheek. "What do you care if he's with me? Don't you have that other boy?" Blossom glared at the girl, her eyes going red. She shot at Berserk with the beam, knocking her out of the boy's arms.

"For your information," she screeched at the rising figure, "I plan on breaking up with him. I got a letter from someone today who _obviously_ cares about me, so I'm going to find out who they are and be with them."

"Oh, so when you were kissing him down there... You didn't really mean it. You were just doing it to get Brick's attention. I wonder why...?" She looked back and forth from Brick and Blossom, suddenly gasping loudly. "Does that mean that...? You're _jealous _of me? Are you... _in love _with him?" Blossom looked down and squinted her eyes, her whole face turning as red as Brick's eyes. He simply stared back at her, a flicker of hope rising. "Well? Do you love Brick?" Blossom whipped her head up sharply and looked straight into Berserk's eyes.

"No. Of course not. He's brash and rude and a _coward_. How could I love him?" Brick's heart dropped at once, his little flame of a hope extinguished. "I just don't like seeing you manipulate other people." Berserk laughed, glaring at them both.

"Fine. He was getting boring anyways... Ta-ta!" She bolted away as fast as she could, having caused enough chaos. Blossom turned to look at Brick and found him just gazing off into space.

"Brick? Are you alright?" She slowly floated over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said, but I knew it was the only way to get her to leave you alone. You didn't honestly enjoy that, did you?" He broke from his trance and shook his head.

"No. She just... accepted me. And..." He trailed off, Blossom having to strain her ears to catch the last part. "She reminded me of..." The last word was so quiet she couldn't even hear it.

"Huh?" she asked. "What did you say?" The boy simply turned scarlet and flew away, not looking back. Blossom stood there, stunned, telling herself he didn't say what she thought he said, telling herself there was _no way _he said what she thought he said. But... the girl couldn't help but smile and wonder if she heard him correctly... Wonder if he had actually finished that sentence with the word 'you'. She flew home leisurely, taking her time and day dreaming about the boy with the red hat. When she got home, she pulled out her cell phone and called Jacob, telling him she thought he was a really nice guy, but that she wasn't good enough for him and wasn't committed to their relationship. He was fine and agreed, and the two split with no hard feelings. Blossom lazily floated up to her room, but had to get up when Buttercup knocked loudly. "What is it?" she called.

"Guess what?" Bubbles called excitedly as the two entered the pink room.

"What?" Blossom replied, smiling at her younger sister's enthusiasm.

"Buttercup and I are in charge of the junior play!" Blossom rolled her eyes and couldn't help but wonder why Buttercup was so happy with having a job.

"Each year the juniors put on a play on the last day of school... And you two are in charge of it?"

"Yep," Buttercup said brightly. "We get to write the script, choose the actors, the costumes—everything."

"And you're excited about this?" the red-head asked her green-eyed sister.

"Sure. And we're making you the lead; so know your lines."

**Author's Note: Yay! No more Berserk! She turned out to be just a minor bump in the road. But what of this play? Could this be linked to the last chapter of "Green With Envy"? Maybe… ;D Only I know for sure! There's only a few chapters left, guys, so bear with me. Please leave me a comment! Love ya!**

_**~Passez une bonne journée!~**_

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	9. Anticipation and a Start

Blossom stared at her sisters as the door slammed, her jaw hanging open. "Wait! Stop! How can you make me the lead without even knowing how good am I? That's not fair to the other girls!" She raced after the two, chasing them down.

"We wrote the part for you. Anyone else wouldn't do it justice." Bubbles crossed her arms as she said this, making her point awfully final. "Besides, the directors always do that; if one of those popular girls was the director, she would just write it for her friends. At least you're a good actress and stuff." Blossom huffed, secretly pleased.

"Fine. When do I start?" Buttercup ran to her room and came back in a flash, a thick pile of paper in her hands.

"This is the entire script—we already have this one printed out for you. Your parts are highlighted in pink."

"So, what's this play about?" she asked curiously, thumbing through the massive stack.

The sisters exchanged worried glances and Buttercup cleared her throat before speaking. "It's about a princess who gets sent to live in a far off tower because she's different from everyone else. The whole country turns on her, and she grows up in the tower, dreaming about adventures. She finally gets rescued by an evil king who intends to use her special abilities to kill the prince, the next in line at the neighboring kingdom. He takes her to his evil lair and she gets saved by the mysterious White Knight, whom she falls in love with. It turns out that the prince is the White Knight, and he falls in love with her, too. It ends with them hugging, knowing their life together will be great." Blossom's eyebrows shot further and further up her head as her younger sister explained the play. "What?"

She shook her head. "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering... If you picked me for the female lead, who's the White Knight going to be?" She had a feeling she knew, but the girl wanted to catch her sisters in the act of making Brick the prince.

"Boomer!" Bubbles said cheerily.

"_What_?" Blossom was shocked. "Really?"

Bubbles nodded excitedly. "Yeah! He practically begged for the part! He loves the idea of castles, princes, swords, magic... He's the perfect one for the job!" Blossom merely smiled, kind of disappointed.

"Well, good for him. He doesn't think it's going to be weird, being in love with me?"

"Oh, he's fine with it. He said he was worried about what Brick would think, though..." Bubbles trailed off, all three girls exchanging knowing glances.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

I paced around the living room frantically, my face still beet red. What was I thinking? She had just finished telling Berserk how much she hated me, and I almost confessed my feelings for her right there. Did I have a death wish? I continued tromping around the house, ignoring my brothers when they came in. I did pay attention, however, when Boomer grabbed my shoulders and shouted in my face, "I'M THE LEAD IN THE JUNIOR PLAY." I blinked twice, not really registering what he had just said. When it dawned on me what he had said, I smiled at him.

"Congrats. What's it about?"

"There's this magical princess who gets locked away, and is then captured by an evil king. Then, the White Knight—_me_—has to come save her, and they live happily ever after!"

I was taken aback by this hurried explanation, but managed to ask another question. "Who's directing it?"

"Bubs and Buttercup."

"Hm... Then they must have the female lead picked out..." Boomer nodded excitedly. "Who is it?"

"Blossom." My breath caught in my throat, causing me to cough violently. "Brick...? Brick, are you okay?" I nodded, still hacking. "Anyway... The play's in two months, so you need to help me practice my lines and stuff. You know how bad my memory is..." I nodded again, this time in agreement.

"Alright. Do you have a script?" He handed me a thick stack of paper in response and told me the lines I were to say were in yellow, his in blue.

"I've already tried to memorize the first few pages. Just keep going until I start messing up a lot." I flipped to the beginning, trying to ignore the fact that I was reading Blossom's lines; and the fact that they were incredibly cheesy.

Eventually, I stopped my brother to ask him a question. "Did Bubbles write this?"

"Yep. Didn't she do great?" Compassion filled his eyes at the thought of his girlfriend. "Well... See, there are two acts, two scenes in each act. Buttercup wrote the last scene—the one where the princess confesses her love to the White Knight and they live happily ever after. I don't have any lines for that part," he added, crossing his arms childishly. "Let's keep going!"

We practiced until we went through the entire script, Boomer adamantly keeping me away from the final scene. Surprisingly, he knew all of his lines perfectly, and we got through the entire script in about an hour and a half. "So, when is the play?" I asked, after he put the script away.

"The last day of school, duh! That Friday." I nodded, remembering. "Bubs' has a lot of work to do, though. She and Buttercup have to get the rest of the cast, costumes, the set, props... It's a lot of work." Suddenly, Butch came running into the room and glared accusingly at us.

"Bup said I was going to get to be the evil king lord guy!"

"She didn't tell me anything. Well, Bubs didn't. She just said that Blossom was going to be the princess and I was going to be the White Knight. Did Buttercup only tell you about yourself?"

"Yeah... Here, let me call her." He whipped out his cell phone and speed dialed her number. "It's me. I'm the evil dude, right? Are you sure? Boomer was talking about how you're assigning parts and I want to make sure I'm still the evil one. I am? Good. Hate you, too. Bye, Bup." He hung up, nodded once, and left. I glanced at Boomer, raising my eyebrow slightly, watching him shrug his shoulders. Boomer stood up, then, yawning and stretching. It had gotten pretty late, and after saying good-night, we went to our rooms; and as I lie in my bed, all I could think about was making sure I went to that play and sat in the front row, watching my girl from afar.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom awoke on the last day of school, nerves flowing through her. All the practice, all the preparing, had led up to this one moment. She got ready quickly, taking care to curl her hair just how Bubbles had instructed her, and wearing her favorite outfit: a hot pink shirt over a pale pink camisole, along with her favorite pair of dark blue flare jeans and white tennis shoes. After close inspection in the mirror, the girl was ready for school and flew there lazily with her sisters, each wrapped up in her own thoughts. Blossom herself was thinking about Brick—per usual—and hoped he would come to the play. She only spoke to him in the halls and such, giving a friendly greeting; but they hadn't had a real conversation for what felt like forever. The girl still dreamt of him regularly, but knew pining away after him wouldn't help her case. The best thing she could do was be patient and pray he would finally come to his senses. Bubbles was going over every last detail of the production, from the scene changes to the actor's lines, to the marks they had to hit when they went out on stage. She was completely distressed, just wanting the whole ordeal to be over, and worrying over Buttercup's 'plan'. Buttercup, meanwhile, was thinking about said plan. She had been working on it since she had begun dating Butch, pleading with the drama teacher to give her and Bubbles the directing job. Everything was laid out perfectly. The entire thing was falling into place...

The day seemed to fly by, and soon enough, Blossom found herself in the dressing room, putting on her costume. It was a beautifully tailored dress, a pale pink, which fell to the floor. The front was covered in detailed beading and stitchery, a white sash going around her middle and tying in the back. The whole look was completed with a silver tiara, and when Blossom looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but smile. Suddenly, though, there was a knock on her door, and she jumped. "Come in!" she called. Bubbles popped her head in, grinning brightly.

"Delivery!" Blossom walked to the door and found Bubbles was carrying a massive bouquet, filled with pink lilies, tulips, and roses, and a white accent flower Blossom didn't know the name of. "There's a card with it, too!" The red-head read the card anxiously, and found it was from 'Sam'.

"Good luck tonight, Bloss. Whatever happens, know you're amazing. Your eyes sparkle like stars; your voice is like silk. I'll be close to you this whole evening, supporting you more than anyone else… Again, good luck, my love.

~Your S.A. Mystery"

The girl sighed as she read the note, the scrap of paper giving her renewed vigor to make this good. Blossom finished getting ready when she heard Buttercup call there was only five minutes until the curtain went up, and she was soon on stage, watching the velvet red screen rise, revealing all her classmates. She inhaled deeply, recalled her lines, and spoke.

**Author's Note: Could this be close to the end? Will Brick _finally_ man-up and do something about his feelings for Blossom? Next chapter probs up tomorrow… or tonight, if you beg. ;) Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

_**~Passez une bonne journée!~**_

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


	10. A Confession and the End

As the curtain rose, all I could do was stare at her. She was in the center of the stage, her elaborate red hair cascading down her back in breath-taking curls. The dress she was wearing was a pastel pink and pooled at the ground, a small crown placed on her brow. Her eyes shined with determination, and I eagerly watched her every move from the second row, near the edge of the stage. It was the closest seat I could get, so I took it. I noticed, though, all the edge seats seemed to be open—but I guess that was because no one wanted half of the show. Blossom said her beginning lines, confidence coming through clearly, even though this beginning monologue was supposed to be seen as melancholy. "Why?" she asked the audience. "Why am I made fun of? Why is everyone afraid of me? Is it because… I'm different?" The girl had me totally immersed in her tale, and I watched as she walked up to a tower. "My father had me locked away in this castle because all the subjects dislike me and almost rallied against him. I was willing, to help my kingdom prosper. But I now regret doing so, for I am terribly lonely…" She peered around the stage and sat down, laying her head against the window. "Oh, what I wouldn't give to be free!" Suddenly, a loud bang shook the stage and my brother came running on, followed by a trail of smoke.

"Ha ha!" he yelled at Blossom. "What is that you said?"

"I'd give anything not to be alone," she replied, looking at him with confusion.

"Well, darling, I can give you that freedom you seek!" Blossom's eyes at once lit up.

"Oh, really? You can?" He nodded twice, sincerity seeming to go out to her.

"You only have to live with me forever and ever." Her eyes at once grew wide.

"Won't the people you're around dislike me? Hate me?"

Butch shook his head. "Where I'm from, _everyone_ is different. Don't worry… You will be accepted." Blossom looked at him apprehensively, but eventually nodded. "Here." Butch then rose up to her window and grabbed her. "Come, there is much to do!" He flew off the stage, carrying her bridal style, and the curtain dropped, some people applauding. It wasn't that great so far, but it was the beginning. I sighed in my seat, and waited for the curtain to come up, showing Boomer's first part. I had practiced with him so much I knew exactly when he was up. Finally, the next set was up, and I saw Boomer standing on stage, talking to his 'father'.

"Father, I have a request of you," he asked. The king nodded. "You know of the princess of the neighboring kingdom? The one who is locked in a tower and everyone is afraid of?" Again, the king nodded. "I ask your permission to rescue her from the tower and marry her, joining our kingdoms together."

The king put his hand up to his chin, pondering his son's request. "I do not think it is too wise… But an alliance with that kingdom is favorable. You have my blessing." He laid his hand over Boomer's head, who was kneeling before him.

"Thank you, father." With that, my brother put on his white mask and ran off the stage. I sighed as the curtain closed, wondering for how much longer this would go on.

The next scene was of Blossom and Butch—basically he was going to use her powers to kill all who were opposing of him and she didn't want that. He locked her in a dungeon, and then we were back with the White Knight, who was traveling everywhere, after visiting the tower, searching for the princess. He soon discovered that she was chained in the evil king's jail, and boldly declared he was going to rescue her. In the third scene, he defeated Butch and saved Blossom, telling her of their impending wedding and carried her away. We next saw their relationship grow, from bitter dislike to a closeness that made me a bit jealous of my brother. See, the princess was upset with the White Knight, for he had never let her see his face, and she felt he only rescued her for his own gain. He couldn't seem to convey his feelings to her, though, and the curtain closed on the second to last scene, the one where a horde of bandits attack them and the White Knight daringly puts his life on the line for her. She then realizes what he means to her, and is about to confess her love. The curtain suddenly dropped, then, and a loud _thud_ sounded through the entire auditorium, followed by a yell of pain I recognized as Boomer. I sighed, wondering what stupid thing he had done now when Bubbles came from a side door and tapped me on the shoulder. "What is it?" I asked. "Is he okay?"

Worry filled her eyes. "Well… no. He's not." I let my eyebrows rise. "When the lights went down, he tripped on a prop and his ankle is swelling up. He can't walk on it, and we have no understudy accept for… well…" I gave her a skeptical look.

"Me, right?" She nodded.

"I'm really sorry, Brick, but he said you were the only one who would know how to play the White Knight. He doesn't have any lines for that part, so it shouldn't be too bad… C'mon." Bubbles grabbed my arm and dragged me backstage. "Here, put this on. Buttercup will tell you what you're supposed to do." I put on the White Knight costume as fast as I could, noticing I could easily see out of the helmet which only covered down to my nose, leaving my mouth in the open air.

"Okay, so," the green-eyed girl began. "We don't have time for you to remember. It's a good thing I made these cards." She gestured to large white cards which held actions on them. "Just look at me for what to do next, 'kay?" I nodded. She sighed. "Ready?" Again, I nodded. "Great. Look, thanks for doing this. I don't know what we would've done without you. Oh, and Blossom might still think you're Boomer!" She whisper-yelled this at me as I walked onto the stage and sat next to Blossom.

Her scent at once overloaded my nose and my heart began to pound. "Boomer, are you alright?" Concern flooded her voice, but as I opened my mouth to tell her it was Brick, the lights went on and the curtain rose. I glanced to the side of the stage and saw Buttercup with the cards. I sighed and looked at the first card. *Look up at Blossom* I did so as she began her monologue.

"Dear Knight," she started, making my heart thump even louder. "I wish to apologize for how I've treated you this time we've been together. You've done so much for me, and I have only treated you with disdain. Please forgive me!" *Stand and offer your hand* I did as the card said, and a smile at once lit up Blossom's face. "Oh, thank you!" She hugged me, but then suddenly broke away, walking a bit to my right. "Sorry. I… I just…" The princess stopped and turned to look at me. "I have something else to tell you." *Nod* I nodded. Blossom began pacing around the stage, her hands clasped under her dainty chin. "White Knight… I…" She faced me at once. "I love you."

My eyes bulged, and she noticed my hesitation. A slight look of confusion covered her face, and I frantically recomposed myself, looking to Buttercup's cards for help. *Hug her* I slowly walked toward her and took the girl of my dreams in my arms. She squeezed me back, hugging me tightly. Again, I glanced at the cards, and my heart nearly stopped as I read it. *Kiss her* My mind went blank, my stomach began churning, my knees almost buckling. Kiss her? I was supposed to just kiss her? Just like that? Slowly, cautiously, I pulled back and looked into her eyes, her lovely, pink eyes, before gradually leaning in.

.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Blossom knew there was something wrong with Boomer. He wasn't acting like he did in practice, wasn't hitting his timing quite right or as crisp as he usually did. When he was late on their hug, she knew something was wrong, but found Bubbles standing in the wing with a sign that read *Just go with it* So, she did; especially when she found Boomer was pulling out of the hug prematurely. When she saw he was leaning in to kiss her, though, Blossom almost shouted at him—but she then looked into his eyes, his red eyes that were staring straight into her own, bright and hopeful. Wait. His _red_ eyes? The realization hit her like slamming into a concrete wall. It was Brick; _he_ was the one trying to kiss her in front of the whole junior class. Eagerly, she lunged forward and met his lips.

A spark erupted between the two. Brick knew she must have discovered it was him, and Blossom knew for a fact he was _willingly_ leaning in; and she wasn't about to let him out of kissing her this time. The kiss was simple and sweet, a menagerie of "Awww"'s coming from the audience. After a split second, the two broke apart and hugged again. The curtain then dropped on the scene, and the auditorium burst into applause. As soon as the curtain was down, Blossom was pulled toward all the girl extras, while Brick was wrenched away by the guys of the play, all cast and crew members telling them what a great job they did. The two were then separated until Buttercup threatened them all to leave or get punched in the face. And, after the stage was emptied and the majority of people had gone to the after school party, just the two red-heads and their spying siblings were left. Blossom found him sitting on the set, his helmet still on. She smiled and pulled it off, revealing his face—which happened to be bright red. "Just so you know…" she said lightly, "there was no kiss in the original script." Brick instantly whipped his head around.

"I know. Just like I know Boomer was never actually hurt…" Her eyes went wide.

"What?" she asked. He chuckled as she sat next to him.

"Apparently, your sisters were kind enough to get my brothers involved in this plan—a plan to get us together." Both blushed, but neither saw, for they were looking away.

"Well…?" Blossom asked, a hint of hopefulness creeping into her voice.

"It worked," Brick answered with a sigh, looking at her. She blushed again. "You know I was the one writing you those notes, right?"

Blossom scooted a bit closer. "I guessed." He sighed again.

"I really do like your lips, Bloss." The red-headed girl looked at him expectantly as he gazed down at said body feature. "_My_ lips especially like your lips." He then leaned closer, capturing her petite, rosy mouth with his, hooking his hand behind her neck. Again, it was cute and short, the both of them breaking apart quickly. "I can't think why I was so nervous to kiss you before…" She giggled at that, remembering all the times he could have just kissed her and started this sooner. "Now, I'm not afraid at all." Once more, their lips found each other, but when Brick went to pull away, Blossom swung her arms around his neck and kept him there, causing him to fall backwards with the force she exerted. He went rigid for a moment, processing what she was doing, but soon wrapped his arms around her waist. The kiss deepened, and the two didn't notice Butch sneak out from his hiding place and stand right next to them.

"GET A ROOM!" he shouted, making them jump apart.

"Butch, I _swear_!" Brick shouted, chasing after his fleeing brother. Blossom just laughed, watching her sisters creep out from the fake bush they were hiding behind.

They flanked her on either side, as usual, Blossom feeling happy as all three of them watched the hunt. "Go ahead," Blossom said, aiming the sentence at her younger sister. "Say it. I know you're _dying_ to."

"I told you so," Buttercup said, triumph permeating her whole body. "I _so_ told you so."

**Author's Note: The End. -w- Yay! I hope you liked this little story… Oh, and BY THE WAY, I have another little three-shot about these couples. It'll be up tomorrow… Look out for it!**

**Thanks for sticking with me until the end, guys! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Love ya! ;D**

**Cordially,**

**LadyFrederic**


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